In her treasure trove of human “whoozits and whatzits galore,” Ariel (played by Marie Bean) wants to be “where the people are.” / W.C. Mann for The Tribune

CULLMAN - On Apr. 12-14 Cullman High School (CHS) Performing Arts will present Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” with evening performances at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday.

This will be a groundbreaking production for CHS, with astounding special effects including devices as creative as wheelie shoes to give undersea creatures flowing movement, and as technically challenging as cable suspension systems to lift performers high over the stage. Audiences will see Scuttle the seagull fly and will see Ariel swim.

Director Wayne Cook told The Tribune, “We’ve installed a fly system for this particular production. A company came out of Illinois and did it. And so we have access to be able to fly several characters in the show. So a bird flies in the show, and a couple of times Ariel swims, and you see things moving all over the stage; it’s not just on the floor. So that’s a cool aspect to the show.”

Before the main performances, the CHS theatre team is putting on multiple shows for elementary and special needs students from around the Cullman area. After the troupe’s first performance Monday morning, Choir Director Sarah Skinner told The Tribune, “It was a blast! The kids really loved it. I think it was a big success.”

Cook shared, “We’ve had a lot of fun. It’s a great family show! It’s had some obstacles that we’ve had to overcome, but I think we’ve done it. It’s always a challenge when you’re working with teenagers and trying to get them to do theater, but then they always rise up and do tremendous things. And so we’re very proud of these kids. They’re very strong, they’re very committed, they’ve put in long hours to do this.”